Ah Prague

[firkin@netconnect.com.au (Alastair Firkin)]

> I'm travelling to Prague in September and am interested in any
> advice from
> the LUG as to photo ops and galleries in the area.

G'day Scott,

So you are off to Prague. Me jealous ? 8-(

> O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;
> It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
> The meat it feeds on; that cuckold lives in bliss
> Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger;

But to Prague. This is a jewel. A beautiful city full of life and music.
Everywhere we went, there was music made by buskers who might have been
taking time off from a major orchestra. (You will need the M series to get
the best of the buskers and the crowds they attract)

Then there is the city. I will start in the old town square- Staromestske
Nam. You will want to observe life as it passes in the square, so pull up a
seat at one of the cafes and enjoy (M series with maybe the 90 to pull
details out of the crowds). Latter in the afternoon, the sun strikes the
square and lights up the gold leaf of the Tyn Church- don't miss this! One
of the best angles is from the lookout of the Staromestske radnice, the
town hall, but it can be crowded (M or R series, with 28 or so for the
panorama of the square and 90 to 200 to pick up some of the spires
details). A less crowded view point is from the second storey of the Cafe
Amadeus at number 14. On the outside of the town hall is an astronomical
clock. I seem to remember that the light is best here in the early morning,
but R8 with flash should fix some of the problems. I found some of the
better shots were towards evening in this corner of the square with the
clock in the background, (Noctilux for this I'm afraid)

Between morning and evening you will have to hike up the hill to the
Hradcany, the town castle. It dominates the city and provides numerous back
drops for photos on the Charles Bridge. Up in the Castle and its associated
district you will find days of photographic opportunities, some people
(streets are very narrow, so M with 35 asph here) and some architectural (R
with a 15mm, or at a pinch the 19mm). Some of the galleries on the city
side of the square immediately in front of the castle have spectacular
views from their windows over the city and down on the milling tourists
below. (R with tele for details maybe a 70-180 APO and 28mm for a
panorama). Now of course you will want to snap a few interior shots in some
places where the locals do not permit it. After all you are a photographer
;-) (Rollei TLR 2.8, 3.5 OR best of all Rolleiwide)

Now into the castle. Don't miss the "Eastern European" Guards in their
fancy uniforms and the reaction they provoke from the children. (M with 50
summicron or the 75mm lens)

Inside the castle you will see the wonderful church (R8 with flash for some
of the details and mirror lock up for some timed exposures of the relics,
Rollei wide is also good held firm on a pew, but the exposure is tricky so
better throw in a spot meter or Styrofoam cup for incident readings)

After wandering down the eastern end of the castle (too much to mention,
but there are fabulous galleries and did I mention Music ?

> Thy eye Jove's lightning bears, thy voice his dreadful thunder,
> Which not to anger bent, is music and sweet fire.

Having avoided the tourist traps in the narrowest streets in town (they had
to pull one side of the road down to allow enough room for the tourists to
visit the other!) you will walk down the hill exhausted. Time to eat. Feast
anywhere, the tucker is so cheap and plentiful, but I would head for one of
the restaurants which sit on the Charles river nestled beneath it on the
Castle's side of the river and north of the lesser side bridge tower (good
view from the tower come to think of it!) There is one very expensive
restaurant here but if you are like me you won't get in as booking seems a
prerequisite anyway ;-)

So you are now left with the Charles Bridge. It will take a day just to
capture its beauty. The light falls in such different slants and the people
and buskers and painters and tradesmen and particularly the glass player
will all demand attention. (M series again with the 35 asph and 90mm). Well
that is enough for now. I grow more "hungry" by the minute. There are so
many other places to see in this wonderful town. Kafka the Jewish section,
the lesser side square, people on the Jan Hus monument, kostel Panny Marie
vitezne and its Bambino di Praga (noctilux and prayer here) and Wenceslas
Square and statue and the memorial to Jan Palach who put himself to the
torch in 1969. Did I enjoy Prague? Does Ted love his R8?

> Bonos dies, Sir Toby:  for, as the old hermit of
> Prague, that never saw pen and ink, very wittily
> said to a niece of King Gorboduc, 'That that is is;'
> so I, being Master Parson, am Master Parson; for,
> what is 'that' but 'that,' and 'is' but 'is'?

Oh and a good guide. I found the American Express book on Prague by Sevan
Nisanyan to be excellent, but I have no comparisons to make. Oh if only I'd
had a Leica when I visited Prague, Paris on the cheap ;-)

Alastair Firkin

http://users.netconnect.com.au/~firkin/AGFhmpg.html